Pursuing Professional Readiness, Optimizing Success in Higher Ed Classrooms
There are an estimated 350,000 credentials and digital badges currently available to earn in today’s education marketplace, and higher education is just one of the providers. The demand for high-impact, short, competency-driven courses teaching skills that are immediately transferable continues to rise as today’s job candidates pursue alternative education to the traditional classroom experience.
Certain aspects of professional readiness, especially sales acumen, provide job seekers an edge over their competitors. Building confidence within the workplace does not happen automatically. When a person is trained in advancing their interpersonal communication skills, sales skills, and literacy skills, they will in turn realize career success. An increasing number of universities are partnering with edtech companies to more quickly offer training in soft and hard skills and competencies students are looking to enhance. But what are the characteristics of a higher education course that creates optimal success for their students?
Hands-On Instruction
2020 proved that hands-on instruction can happen in any capacity, whether that be virtually or in-person. Dedicated instructors that create an interactive experience for their students will drive a more attentive and successful learning atmosphere. Experiential learning and apprenticeships empower students to immediately take lessons from the classroom to real life, real work, and real relationships
Networking Possibilities
The power of connection allows students to open up to people and information that can stimulate their career path. Instructors that not only focus on the skills that can help you succeed in the workplace but the people that can help you succeed in the workplace is a powerful personal and professional connection to make. Feedback in real-time from employers allows students to grow into the ideal job candidate.
Practice
Peoples’ calendars are full of meetings, deadlines, and assignments. It can be hard to sit down and practice the skills that are necessary to take your expertise to the next level. A course that allocates time to practice and role-play allows students to build their confidence in different professional and personal situations.
Personal Evaluation
A useful tool when trying to advance in your career is understanding your own unique skill sets. Evaluating how your skills compare to others offers a valuable perspective. Evaluations such as the Chally Assessment help you understand your strengths and weaknesses and how they can be best utilized in the workplace.
When considering a higher education course amidst so many options, understanding what you can expect as a return on your investment is a critical step. A student looking to accelerate their educational and occupational journey needs a course that supplies them with the resources to do so.
Virtanza provides sales education to students of all walks, and we are fiercely committed to the ROI our students realize. Our experiential classrooms at colleges and universities allow learners to explore their natural sales aptitudes and apply them in real-time through role-plays and group activities lessons in the sales cycle, negotiating, presenting, creating value propositions, and more. We often hear in class of a student’s decision to ‘try on’ a lesson learned, and we consistently celebrate the transformation our students undergo over the course of our time together.
New business, new jobs, new promotions, and new frontiers - Virtanza’s program graduates create incredible opportunities for themselves because they are engaged in high-impact, experiential lessons, networking and connecting with others, and ongoing coaching and support. Visit our Partners & Programs page for a professional sales program starting soon.
Author: Our Marketing Intern, Sydney Crawford, is a Senior at the University of Maryland, College Park. She will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Arts. She is majoring in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, with a minor in Business Analytics.